Wish

Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc.

Language(s): English

Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same wish since fourth grade, hoping that some day it will come true. When her irresponsible parents cause her to be sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family members she doesn't know, she needs that wish to come true more than ever. A stray dog, a true-blue friend, and the love of a big-hearted aunt and uncle just might make it happen.

A
warm, real, and heartfelt tale. --Kirkus

O’Connor
(How To Steal a Dog) pens a touching tale of resilience sure to resonate with
children who have ever felt like they didn’t belong...Poignant and genuine,
this is a tale that will resonate with readers long after they finish it and
have them cheering for the underdogs—both of the two-legged and four-legged
variety --School Library Journal

What
in lesser hands could have turned sappy develops here as a slowly evolving
character study. O’Connor has the setting and colloquial mountain speech
down pat, but most important, she gets at the heart of Charlie’s unhappiness,
showing that wishes may come true, but perhaps not in the ways we expect.Horn Book

Barbara
O'Connor captures a traumatic transition in a young girl's life without
resorting to sentimentality or hard-to-believe happy endings.

Shelf
Awarenes

Like
a generous portion of grits, Wish makes the world a little better.